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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pit — a hole
  3. firm — steady
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. mug — a face
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — soda
  9. firm — decided
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — farmland
  14. pop — music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. mug — to rob
  22. firm — a company
  23. field — a subject
  24. mug — a cup

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com